Body found at site of King City fire sparks debate over housing

we are beginning tonight in King City with more questions surrounding *** fire that left one person dead near *** large homeless camp. City leaders now questioning whether more could have been done to prevent the fire and the death with the latest we go to action. News reporter Felix Cortez live in King City near where that fire started. Well, erin the mayor says for months the city has been working on *** homeless project. He says just might have prevented this fire behind me. But the mayor also says that project has been delayed by bureaucratic red tape. I am very, very frustrated in that bureaucratic paperwork frustration from King City Mayor Michael *** Bar who's placing the blame on bureaucratic red tape for the death of *** person in last week's riverbed fire that started near *** large homeless camp outside King City. We've been working for so long to come up with the solution which was to address many, many issues within the community. *** key part of that solution is Project Home Key, *** state sponsored program to encourage cities to get more homeless housing online. King City was told they would receive more than $12 million to buy and renovate the Days Inn for homeless housing and wrap around services. That award letter was received in january but so far no money has been dispersed. We would have had them out of the riverbed and we would have had them housed The total time this project was supposed to take to renovate those units was 5-6 months and so had they provided the money immediately, we would have moved immediately. And just maybe the fire and the death in the riverbed could have been prevented. The mayor says the identity of that person and their exact cause of death have yet to be determined right now. We have to be open to all scenarios. We're not going to rule anything out. But I also don't want to speculate and start making accusations that are completely unfounded. We're just gonna have to investigate everything and see where that investigation takes us. But the death bringing more frustration regarding the growing homeless camps in the riverbed and more urgency to find alternative housing. This is *** national issue and we're supposed to get the job done. But man, I feel like our hands are tied now King City desperately needs that state grant to close escrow on that days Inn motel. The mayor says he's been promised the money in about two weeks re reached out to the State Housing Department to confirm that but as of yet still have yet to receive *** response. The mayor says he will now reach out to state lawmakers to make sure King City Gets that $12 million dollar grant reporting from King City on Felix Cortez KSB W Action News eight yeah

Growing frustration from King City Mayor Mike LeBarre who's placing the blame on bureaucratic red tape for the death of a person in last week's riverbed fire that started near a large homeless camp outside King City. “I am very very frustrated, that bureaucratic paperwork,” LeBarre said. “We've been working for so long to come up with a solution which was to address many many issues within the (homeless) community."A key part of that solution is Project Homekey, a state-sponsored program to encourage cities to get more homeless housing online. King City was told it would receive more than $12 million to buy and renovate the Days Inn for homeless housing and wrap-around services. But that award letter was received in January and so far no money has been dispersed.“We would've had them out of the river bed and we would've had them housed the total time this project was supposed to take to renovate those units was five to six months and so had they provided the money immediately we would've moved immediately,” LeBarre said.And just maybe the fire and the death in the riverbed could've been prevented, the mayor said. The identity of that person and their exact cause of death have yet to be determined, pending the outcome of their autopsy.But questions are being raised about whether the death involved criminal activity or whether the person failed to heed evacuation orders and was overcome by the fire.“Right now we have to be open to all scenarios we're not going to rule anything out but I also don't want to speculate and start making accusations that are completely unfounded we're just going to have to investigate everything and see where that investigation takes us,” said Derrel Simpson, spokesman for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.But the death brought more frustration regarding the growing homeless camps in the riverbed and more urgency to find alternative housing.“This is a national issue and we're supposed to get the job done but man I feel like our hands are tied,” LeBarre said.

KING CITY, Calif. —

“I am very very frustrated, that bureaucratic paperwork,” LeBarre said. “We've been working for so long to come up with a solution which was to address many many issues within the (homeless) community."

A key part of that solution is Project Homekey, a state-sponsored program to encourage cities to get more homeless housing online. King City was told it would receive more than $12 million to buy and renovate the Days Inn for homeless housing and wrap-around services. But that award letter was received in January and so far no money has been dispersed.

“We would've had them out of the river bed and we would've had them housed the total time this project was supposed to take to renovate those units was five to six months and so had they provided the money immediately we would've moved immediately,” LeBarre said.

And just maybe the fire and the death in the riverbed could've been prevented, the mayor said. The identity of that person and their exact cause of death have yet to be determined, pending the outcome of their autopsy.

But questions are being raised about whether the death involved criminal activity or whether the person failed to heed evacuation orders and was overcome by the fire.

“Right now we have to be open to all scenarios we're not going to rule anything out but I also don't want to speculate and start making accusations that are completely unfounded we're just going to have to investigate everything and see where that investigation takes us,” said Derrel Simpson, spokesman for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

But the death brought more frustration regarding the growing homeless camps in the riverbed and more urgency to find alternative housing.

“This is a national issue and we're supposed to get the job done but man I feel like our hands are tied,” LeBarre said.

Body found at site of King City fire sparks debate over housing

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